The present invention generally relates to cotton harvesters and, more particularly, to apparatus for raising or lifting a lid or lid structure of a cotton receiving basket or receptacle of a cotton harvester relative to the basket.
Modern cotton harvesters include relatively large high volume baskets or receptacles that are supported by a movable frame of the harvester for receiving and holding harvested cotton materials received from cotton harvester row units mounted on the frame.
The basket is typically provided with drivers for moving the basket between an operational or lower position wherein the basket is resting on or close to the frame of the harvester for receiving the cotton from the row units, and an unloading or raised position a distance above the lower position, wherein the cotton collected in the basket can be unloaded to another receptacle or container. Typically, such drivers include two or more fluid cylinders. Each fluid cylinder is typically connected to fluid supply lines connected to a source of pressurized fluid mounted on the harvester, such as a hydraulic pump. Reference in this regard, Fachini et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,189, issued May 28, 1985 to J. I. Case Company, which discloses well known apparatus for raising and lowering a cotton harvester basket, including a plurality of upright fluid cylinders, the rods of which cylinders can be disconnected from the basket and attached to a roof or lid structure telescopically received in an upwardly facing opening of the basket for extending or retracting the roof or lid structure relative to the basket. Reference also, Schlueter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,297, issued Jun. 5, 1990 to Deere and Company, which discloses known apparatus for selectively telescopically raising and lowering an upper basket portion or lid of a cotton harvester hydraulically.
However, a shortcoming of the first referenced apparatus is a requirement of manually connecting and disconnecting the cylinder rods from the basket and roof, which can become difficult as the pins and receivers for doing so become old and worn. Addressing the latter referenced device, it is disclosed in cooperation with complex hydraulic apparatus for tilting the basket in a dump mode.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide apparatus for raising and lowering the lid structure or roof of a cotton receiving basket of a cotton harvester, which overcomes the shortcomings discussed above.
According to the invention, apparatus for raising and lowering a lid structure of a cotton receiving basket of a cotton harvester, is disclosed. The present apparatus is used with or applies to a basket having an upstanding wall structure defining an upwardly facing opening and a lid structure disposed over the opening positionable in a retracted position close to the wall structure, and in an extended position spaced a predetermined distance above the wall structure, at least one lifting element being present having a member extendable for lifting the basket relative to the frame to a lifted position and retractable for lowering the basket from the lifted position, the apparatus including at least one leg mounted to the lid structure and engageable with a portion of a lifting element when the basket is in the lifted position and the lid structure is in the retracted position so as to hold the lid structure relative to the portion of the lifting element engaged therewith while the basket is lowered from the lifted position to locate the lid structure in the extended position, the at least one leg being engageable with the lifting element with the lid structure in the extended position while the basket is raised relative thereto to retract the lid structure.